Thursday, November 11, 2010

Handwriting from History

Nicholas Jones, my 6th generation grandfather, was born 14 November 1762, in Caroline Co., Virginia. In 1832 he was a resident of Clark Co., Kentucky where he applied for a pension "...in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832." His Revolutionary Service Record is numbered S16169 Virginia Service. This record states that Nicholas Jones entered the company of James Johnson on the 13th day of June 1780 as a substitute for his father Griffin Jones, who had been drafted. This would have made Nicholas 17 years old when he entered the War. The military record gives a detailed account of the service given which includes the battle of Camden, SC, Guildford's Courthouse, NC, and the battle of Yorktown. A certificate of pension was issued the 10th day of December 1832 by the court in Winchester, Kentucky. The record also records that Joseph Jones and John Jones were his bothers, who also appeared in court to serve as witnesses for Nicholas. The record then goes on to document that his name was placed on the pension roll of the state of Kentucky from "...from where he has lately removed; that he now resides in the state of Indiana and where he intends to remain and live and wishes his pension payable there in the future. The following are his reasons for moving from Kentucky to Indiana. His children and grand children removed from said state of KY to Indiana, and on account of his age and infirmities he was inclined to follow them." At the end of this document is the signature of Nicholas Jones. A copy is shown to the right. Handwriting from the history of my family is part of the treasure that 50 years of genealogy has provided. What a treasure it is.